68:24 They 1 see your processions, O God –
the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. 2
68:25 Singers walk in front;
musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, 3
in the midst of young women playing tambourines. 4
68:26 In your large assemblies praise God,
the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel! 5
68:27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, 6
and the princes of Judah in their robes, 7
along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
1 tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.
2 tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Heb “after [are] the stringed instrument players.”
4 sn To celebrate a military victory, women would play tambourines (see Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6).
5 tn Heb “from the fountain of Israel,” which makes little, if any, sense here. The translation assumes an emendation to בְּמִקְרָאֵי (bÿmiqra’ey, “in the assemblies of [Israel]”).
6 sn Little Benjamin, their ruler. This may allude to the fact that Israel’s first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin.
7 tc The MT reads רִגְמָתָם (rigmatam), which many derive from רָגַם (ragam, “to kill by stoning”) and translates, “[in] their heaps,” that is, in large numbers.